The mission of our foundation is to provide scholarship opportunities for young women pursuing STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) two- or four-year degrees. There are certainly more ladies capable of pursuing careers in STEM fields than are currently represented and we want to encourage and support them to take the first step by attaining a STEM-related degree.
Our foundation was started after the death of Sharon Sanders in 2020. Sharon co-led a mentoring program for engineering students at Clemson University called LEAD Forward; she quickly discovered a knack for encouraging the female minority involved in this program. Lauren Romano, a LEAD Forward participant, has this to say about Sharon’s influence on her:
She encouraged me to be my best self and pushed me towards my dreams. She set me up to help young girls with their dreams and leadership, a passion I have always had. She put together meetings with amazing speakers to encourage us women to get out there and lead and be the best we can be and not follow tradition. She has done so much for me that it is hard to put it all into words. Her impact will live on forever, her wisdom I’ll carry always, her spirit will guide me towards my dreams.
Sharon’s daughter, Sara, explains Sharon’s overall impact on people:
Sharon Sanders was an inspiration to many people. She had an innate talent for caring enough about people to come alongside them, figure out where they were at, and encourage them to live up to their potential. You might say her motto was: “How you make others feel about themselves says a lot about you.” She began her professional life as an elementary teacher, received her Master’s and PhD from Clemson University, spent time mentoring at-risk families and children through nonprofits and her church, then developed leadership curriculum with her husband to mentor engineering students at Clemson University, SC.
When Sharon was considering college as a teenager, a close relative commented that there wasn’t any point in a female going to college….she not only went on to college, but eventually earned her PhD! Throughout her life, she loved pushing young ladies to accomplish their potential and to not acknowledge arbitrary boundaries imposed by other people.
We want to offer this scholarship specifically to females in STEM fields in memory of the encouragement and support that Sharon ceaselessly offered to the young ladies who came across her path.
We want to carry on Sharon’s impact through providing this resource to young ladies and helping them find their super powers!
